| Method of making bacon pieces -> Monitor Keywords |
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Method of making bacon piecesRelated Patent Categories: Food Or Edible Material: Processes, Compositions, And Products, Processes, Heating Above Ambient Temperature, Cooking, E.g., Broiling, Baking, Etc.Method of making bacon pieces description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060165862, Method of making bacon pieces. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a method of making bacon pieces from whole pork bellies and from pork belly trim and belly pieces. BACKGROUND [0002] Whole pork bellies come from the side of the hog and are commonly used to make bacon strips. Pork belly trim and belly pieces come from trimming whole pork bellies and are typically irregular in size and in shape. Pork belly trim and belly pieces are commonly used to make sausage, bacon bits, and bacon topping. The term "bellies" is used herein to refer to whole bellies, belly trim, and belly pieces. The term "bacon pieces" is used herein to refer to bacon strips, bacon bits, and bacon topping. [0003] Federal regulation defines the weight and the yield of bacon products. For uncooked bacon products, cured bellies must have a weight not exceeding the weight of uncured bellies, which is commonly referred to as "green weight". For fully cooked bacon products, cured bellies must have a yield of not more than 40% of the weight of uncured bellies, in other words 60% shrinkage from the green weight of uncured bellies. [0004] Commonly, cure ingredients are injected into bellies with injection needles to create cured bellies, and the cure ingredients must be in solution to prevent clogging of the injection needles. The term "in solution" is used herein to refer to a substantially homogeneous mixture created by a process by which a solid, liquid, or gaseous substance is substantially homogeneously mixed with a liquid. Should the injection needles become clogged, there will be an uneven distribution of the cure ingredients in the bellies. [0005] Most cured bellies are cured using a cure ingredients solution, which comprises dry cure ingredients in a water solution. The cure ingredients solution contains 60 to 70% water by weight of the cure ingredients solution. The bellies are injected with the cure ingredients solution at levels of 8 to 13% by weight of the bellies so that the injected bellies contain 5 to 9% water by weight of the injected bellies, which adds to the weight of the bellies. To reduce the weight of the injected bellies, to return the injected bellies to their green weight, the injected bellies are commonly cooked slowly in a smokehouse. Cooking the injected bellies in a smokehouse cooks off the water, leaving the cure ingredients behind, and also adds a smoke flavor to the cured bellies. [0006] For fully cooked bacon products, additional weight reduction is necessary after cooking in a smokehouse. To comply with federal regulation, fully cooked bacon products must have a yield of 40% or less to be considered fully cooked. The cured bellies are further cooked using a microwave oven, a conveyor belt having a heat conductive surface, a conveyor belt passing through one or more cooking chambers, or other suitable cooking devices well known in the art to get fully cooked bacon products to 40% yield or less. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] In one aspect of the present invention, bellies are placed in a vessel. Dry cure ingredients and water are added in the vessel containing the bellies. The dry cure ingredient and the water create a cure ingredients solution, which includes up to 3.0% water by weight of the bellies. The bellies and the cure ingredients solution are tumbled in the vessel under vacuum to create cured bellies. The cured bellies are cooked to a desired cook level. The up to 3.0% water by weight of the bellies allows the cured bellies to be cooked to the desired cook level in only one cooking step. [0008] In another aspect of the present invention, whole bellies are placed in a vessel. Dry cure ingredients and water are added in the vessel containing the whole bellies. The dry cure ingredients and the water create a cure ingredients solution, which includes up to 3.0% water by weight of the whole bellies. The whole bellies and the cure ingredients solution are tumbled in the vessel under vacuum to create cured whole bellies. The cured whole bellies are cooked to a desired cook level. The up to 3.0% water by weight of the whole bellies allows the cured whole bellies to be cooked in only one cooking step. [0009] In another aspect of the present invention, belly pieces are placed in a vessel. Dry cure ingredients and water are added in the vessel containing the belly pieces. The dry cure ingredients and the water create a cure ingredients solution, which includes up to 3.0% water by weight of the belly pieces. The belly pieces and the cure ingredients solution are tumbled in the vessel under vacuum to create cured belly pieces. The cured belly pieces are cooled, sliced, and cooked to a desired cook level. The up to 3.0% water by weight of the belly pieces allows the cured belly pieces to be cooked in only one cooking step. [0010] In another aspect of the present inventions belly pieces are sliced to a thickness of approximately 3 to 6 mm and placed in a vessel. Dry cure ingredients and water are added in the vessel containing the belly pieces. The dry cure ingredients and the water create a cure ingredients solution, which includes up to 3.0% water by weight of the belly pieces. The belly pieces and the cure ingredients solution are tumbled in the vessel under vacuum to create cured belly pieces. The cured belly pieces are cooked to a desired cook level. The up to 3.0% water by weight of the belly pieces allows the cured belly pieces to be cooked in only one cooking step. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic flow diagram for an embodiment using whole bellies according to the principles of the present invention; [0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic flow diagram for an embodiment using belly trim and belly pieces according to the principles of the present invention; and [0013] FIG. 3 is a schematic flow diagram for another embodiment using belly trim and belly pieces according to the principles of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT [0014] The present invention relates to a method of making pre-cooked or par-cooked bacon pieces from whole pork bellies and from pork belly trim and belly pieces. Whole bellies are preferably used to make bacon strips, and belly trim and belly pieces are preferably used to make bacon bits or bacon topping. The belly trim and belly pieces are a raw material from trimming of the whole bellies before the whole bellies are processed and are typically irregular in size and in shape. For example, the belly trim and belly pieces may be the whole pieces of trim from the belly of the hog as the hog is cut into wholesale cuts or the irregular belly trim and belly pieces as the bellies are trimmed before pumping. [0015] The term "bellies" is used herein to refer to whole bellies, belly trim, and belly pieces. The term "bacon pieces" is used herein to refer to bacon strips, bacon bits, and bacon topping. Although the present invention is described with regard to making bacon pieces from bellies, it is recognized that a variety of products can be made from other suitable cuts from the hog using the method of the present invention. Therefore, the term bellies also includes other suitable cuts from the hog and the term bacon pieces also includes the products made from the other suitable cuts from the hog. [0016] In one aspect of the present invention, uncooked whole bellies are preferably used to make bacon strips. An example of this aspect is shown in FIG. 1. The uncooked whole bellies are added to a vessel such as a vactium tumbler. A cure ingredients solution comprising dry cure ingredients and water is then added to the tumbler containing the whole bellies. The cure ingredients solution does not have to be in solution, the term "in solution" meaning a substantially homogeneous mixture created by a process by which a solid, liquid, or gaseous substance is substantially homogeneously mixed with a liquid. Preferably, the approximate percentages of the ingredients in the cure ingredients solution by weight of the uncooked whole bellies are 1.0 to 2.0% salt, 0.0 to 2.0% sugar or sweetener, 0.0 to 5.0% smoke flavoring, 0.0 to 0.5% phosphates, 120 ppm or less sodium nitrite, 550 ppm or less sodium erythorbate or sodium ascorbate, and 1.0% water. [0017] Preferably first water, salt, and sodium nitrite are added to the tumbler and mixed with the whole bellies for 2 to 4 minutes at 10 rpm. The sodium nitrite, which gives the cured whole bellies the cured color, is preferably added to the water to more evenly distribute the sodium nitrite amongst the whole bellies. It is preferred that up to 3.0% water be used, and it is more preferred that 1.0% water be used. Sugar, dextrose, and sodium erythorbate are then added to the tumbler and mixed with the whole bellies and other ingredients for 2 to 4 minutes at 10 rpm. Smoke flavoring is then added and mixed for an additional 2 to 4 minutes at 10 rpm. It is recognized that the speed of the tumbler depends upon the type of tumbler being used, and any suitable speed may be used as long as the whole bellies are not torn or otherwise damaged. [0018] The tumbler is closed and a vacuum is applied during tumbling of the whole bellies and the cure ingredients solution to create cured whole bellies. Preferably, the mixture is tumbled at 10 rpm for approximately 2 hours, and a vacuum of 28.0 to 29.5 inches Hg is applied during tumbling. The vacuum is applied to open the muscle fibers of the whole bellies, which allows for better penetration of the cure ingredients solution in the whole bellies. It is recognized that a lower vacuum level may be used, but the whole bellies and the cure ingredients solution may need to be tumbled under vacuum for a longer period of time to allow for adequate penetration of the cure ingredients solution in the whole bellies. The cured whole bellies are removed from the tumbler and either hung on racks using bacon combs, as in the example shown in FIG. 1, or placed in vats. The cured whole bellies are then stored in a cooler having a temperature of approximately 32 to 40.degree. F. for up to 48 hours, preferably 24 to 48 hours. Then, the cured whole bellies are stored in a chill cooler having a temperature of approximately 18 to 26.degree. F. for approximately 24 to 48 hours, until ready to press. The cured whole bellies are then pressed and held in a cooler having a temperature of approximately 18 to 26.degree. F. for approximately 24 to 72 hours, until ready for slicing. [0019] As in the example shown in FIG. 1, the cured whole bellies are combed, also commonly referred to as pinned, and then hung to place the cured whole bellies in a vertical position, which assists in straightening out the cured whole bellies that have become distorted during tumbling. The combing and the hanging of the cured whole bellies assists in pressing the cured whole bellies straighter. Pressing the cured whole bellies makes the cured whole bellies more uniform for slicing. During pressing, the cured whole bellies are placed in a slot in the press, pushed around the edges to compress the cured whole bellies, and preferably formed into a rectangular block to form a more uniform shape. The rectangular shape of the cured whole bellies is more easily guided during slicing thereby resulting in more uniform slices. Continue reading about Method of making bacon pieces... Full patent description for Method of making bacon pieces Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method of making bacon pieces patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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